Production of animal food products is an example of batch processing. Meats from farm animals, such as beef and chicken, are produced by breaking down a slaughtered animal carcass into basic lots to be shipped to retailers and sold to consumers. At various stages of the slaughtering and butchering process, pathogens may contaminate a portion of the animal meat product, which may cause other cuts of meat to become contaminated upon contact with the contaminated meat product or associated liquid. Pathogens, such as bacterium E. coli, are natural inhabitants of an animal's gastrointestinal (GI) tract. While severing of the GI tract is generally avoided during slaughter and butcher, occasionally accidental severing or rupture of the GI tract during processing causes contamination of the animal meat product. This in turn may cause contamination of other meat cuts that come into contact with the contaminated meat or with liquid that contacts the contaminated meat.
The bacterium E. coli resides in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of most warm-blooded animals, including humans and cattle. Although over 200 strains of E. coli have been identified, certain strains are known food borne pathogens causing diseases ranging from diarrhea to the potentially deadly hemorrhagic colitis/hemolytic uremic syndrome. Red meat, such as beef has been identified as prominent sources of enterovirulent E. coli. One particular strain, enterovirulent E. coli is O157:H7, is considered as an adulterant in certain beef products by the USDA. Meat that is found to be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 is not suitable for human consumption and must be destroyed or subjected to a validated cook process to kill E. coli O157:H7. Meat that tests negative for E. coli O157:H7 is generally packaged and sent to suppliers, supermarkets and other meat distribution businesses for further processing or sale to consumers.